By Lily Belcher
On July 19, Riverview Public Library opened its in-house bookstore. The bookstore was a part of the old Riverview Library, but expanded with the current 35,000-square-foot Riverview Public Library on Balm Riverview Rd.
The new bookstore is located at the front of the building, to the left when entering the library. The four shelves are dedicated to books donated mainly by the community to be purchased. The store is currently using the honor system for purchases, so community members buying books are asked to leave the correct amount of money indicated on the sign.
The cheap prices of the used books allow avid readers to select their favorite titles and keep them on their bookshelves without returning them on their due date. Paperback books range from 50 cents to a dollar. Hardback books, children’s books, CDs and DVDs are also a dollar.
Since the Riverview Public Library bookstore only receives a few books from the library itself, Gretchen DelSavio, president of the volunteer group, asks that readers bring their old books to the library as a donation. Books, CDs, DVDs and even records can be dropped off to the library throughout the day, but DelSavio asks that the donors email them through the library’s Facebook page before bringing larger donations.
“We are very grateful the community donates to us,” said Lisa Bohn, who is helping out at the bookstore.
The money raised by the bookstore will go towards funding library programs, such as yoga and kid’s programs. These events make the library not only a wealth of information, but an engaging community center that will foster the love of reading and learning in the youth of Riverview.
The bookstore is sponsored by Friends of the Library of Tampa-Hillsborough County. Friends of the Library is an organization that offers memberships and volunteer opportunities for people looking to get involved in their community and become an active member of their local library. As stated on its website, it also accepts donations “to strengthen, support and advocate for superior free public libraries in Tampa and Hillsborough County.”
For more information on the bookstore at the Riverview Public Library, contact DelSavio at 892-7595.
